The Romans (TV story)
The Romans 'is the fourth serial of the second season of ''Doctor Who. ''It was written by Dennis Spooner, directed by Christopher Barry and featured William Hartnell as the First Doctor, William Russell as Ian Chesterton, Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright and Maureen O'Brien as Vicki Pallister. Overview ''To be added Synopsis Italy, 64AD. Enjoying a rare holiday with his companions, the Doctor takes Vicki to visit Rome, where he is mistaken for the musician Maximus Pettulian. He finds himself obliged to perform for Nero, or risk incurring the Emperor's wrath... In his absence, Ian and Barbara have been kidnapped from their villa. Separated and sold into slavery, they face a bleak future. Can they make their escape and find the Doctor before Rome is consumed by fire? Plot The Slave Traders (1) One month after landing on and subsequently plummeting from the edge of a cliff, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki take up residence in a Roman villa. The girls take a trip to the nearby village one morning; Vicki complains about the lack of adventure in their current visit and growing bored with everyone's content. Unbeknownst to them, they are observed on their way to the market by an assassin hiding in the bushes. In the village, two Romans, Sevcharia and Didius wander around the market, suspiciously watching Barbara and Vicki when they arrive.After they speak with a stall holder, the Romans learn about them and the others before leaving. At the lame time, a lyre player takes leave of the village and is jumped and murdered by the hidden assassin. Back at the villa, Ian and Barbara wonder whether or not to go and check on the TARDIS, but the Doctor isn't concerned and tells them he plans on going away for a few days. Upon hearing that he's going to Rome, Vicki pleads to come along, to which he reluctantly agrees. In spite of trying to argue the contrary, Ian and Barbara stay in the villa. Outside the villa, Sevcharia and Didius make plans to storm the it and capture them travellers for slave trade. Not long afterwards, they sneak into the villa in a surprise attack on the unsuspecting Ian and Barbara. A struggle breaks out; Barbara tries to knock out on of their attackers with a vase but misses and hits Ian instead. The Romans then take Barbara and the disorientated Ian back to their camp. On the path to Rome, the Doctor and Vicki find the lyre player's body in the bushes. The Doctor picks up the lyre when a centurion comes looking around. Claiming the lyre to be his, the centurion mistakes him for Maximus Petullian of Corinth, the now-dead renowned musician who was on his way to Rome to play at Emperor Nero's court. The Doctor plays along and allows the centurion to escort him and Vicki to Assisium. Back at the camp, while Sevcharia and Didius speak with a slave trader, Ian tries to break free of his chains while Barbara voices despondence over their situation. The Romans tell the trader that Barbara will fetch a high price in Rome, so he takes Ian away instead. Arriving a Assisium, the centurion angrily berates the assassin for his 'failure' to kill Maximus Petullian and directs him to where the Doctor is staying, offering him a second chance. The assassin sneaks toward the Doctor's room, sword drawn, ready to attack. All Roads Lead to Rome (2) The Doctor becomes aware of the incoming assailant just in time to defend himself from his strike. Engaging in a hand-to-hand fight with the assassin, the Doctor gains the upper hand on his foe before Vicki comes in and chases him out of a window. In spite of the attack and the confirmation that the centurion was the one who ordered it, the Doctor insists on staying the night in Assisium before pressing onto Rome, to Vicki's bewilderment. In Rome, Barbara is thrown in jail with another sick prisoner before she is readied for the slave auction. Meanwhile, Ian is forced to work in the galley of a ship, bound and chained with a number of other slaves. He attempts to grab the key to the chains from the galley master by having the slave sat next to him, Delos, feign dying from exhaustion, but fails. Barbara tends to her ill cellmate when a wealthy Roman named Tavius approaches her cell, offering to help her by buying her at the slave auction. Ian's boat is soon encumbered by bad weather; the ship is quickly struck by the storm, causing the galley master to collapse and all the slaves, Ian included, lunge on top of him to get the keys as the ship is torn apart by the waves. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Vicki arrive in Rome, just missing Barbara being placed forward for the slave auction. While the citizens of Rome place their bids, Tavius appears and trumps all of them. Ian waken on a beach with Delos, having been washed ashore when the ship sank. Freeing themselves from their manacles, Ian says he intends to continue heading to Rome to find Barbara, who has been set up as a servant of the Empress by Tavius. He leaves her to speak with 'Maximus Petullian'. In the centre of Nerio's home, Tavius greets the Doctor before Nero comes in and demands he play something on the lyre. Playing on his vanity, the Doctor narrowly avoids detection only to be present with another chance of being exposed. Sneaking into Rome under cover of darkness, Ian and Delos head off in search of Barbara when they are caught by soldiers. Looking into Tavius' claims, the Doctor and Vicki investigate the Apodyterium and find the body of the centurion that ordered the hit on Petullian. Ian and Delos are thrown in cells and told that if they wish to survive they have the fight as gladiators in the area. The two look outside and see their intended opponents, a pride of lions. Conspiracy (3) The following morning, the Doctor speaks with Tavius again, who tells him that the centurion's body has been moved and alludes further into the real Petullian's plans, to which the Doctor intends to try and uncover. In his chambers, Nero confers with the Empress Poppaea, who suggests that a banquet is held at which 'Petullian' could perform, when they are interrupted by Tavius' arrival to introduced Barbara. Nero is instantly taken by Barbara and proceeds to chase her around the house. In his pursuit, he is stopped by both Vicki and the Doctor; Vicki accidentally wanders into an apothecary, while the Doctor remains completely unaware that it's Barbara that Nero's chasing after. While Vicki meets the court poisoner, Colusta, Nero catches up with Barbara while she attends Poppaea's tasks when the Empress arrives and her sends her away, making claims that it was Barbara who was chasing he. In the cells, Ian and Delos wait to be called upon, when Barbara's old cellmate, who is sat in the cell next to them, tells Ian what happened to her. Back in the palace, the Doctor and Nero speak in the sauna when Nero invites him to play at the banquet he is hosting. Later, Vicki hides when Poppaea visits Locusta with the request for a poison intended for Barbara at the banquet, but Vicki switches the drinks when no-one is looking. Before the banquet, Vicki tells the Doctor about this and they rush to keep Nero from drinking the poison, stopping him before he drinks it. However, after the Doctor is gone, Nero has his servant Tigilinus drink it instead to confirm. Poppaea is furious at this turn of events and sends Locusta away to the area. At the banquet, Tavius approaches the Doctor and tells him to be ready for tomorrow before scurrying off again. When Vicki asks how he plans to get out of performing, the Doctor schemingly informs her that's not the plan. Nero calls for the court to be silent and asks the Doctor to play for the masses; the Doctor tells the audience that the music he should play can only be heard by the most delicate hearing. He then proceeds to pretend to play the lyre and everybody in the court pretends to hear it, including Nero himself. The Doctor's 'performance' is met with great applause by the audience and Nero storms off, angered and envious by the reception. Nero drags Barbara to the gladiatorial area and arranges a fight between Ian and Delos out of boredom and frustration, at the same time ordering for the Doctor to play in the arena and have the lions set on him. Ian and Delos are brought out, handed arms and proceed to fight one another while Nero joyously observes. Delos soon gets the upper hand and Nero orders him to take Ian's head, to Barbara's horror. Inferno (4) Instead of killing Ian, Delos turns and attacks Nero instead, when he and Ian engage in a fight with Nero's guards, but manage to escape. Nero, realising that Ian will return in a bid to liberate Barbara, chooses to use her as bait to lure them back and then kills the guard that allowed them to escape. Poppaea orders Tavius to get rid of Barbara, who she assumes is trying to usurp her as Empress of Rome. Meeting up with Barbara later on, she tells him about the rescue attempt and he offers to help, thus complying with his orders. Meanwhile, Ian and Delos remain undercover in the city to avoid being found, when Nero's guards are put on patrol to trap them. Inside the palace, the Doctor and Vicki look at Nero's plans when Tavius arrives and tells him about Nero's plan to release the lions on him at his next performance and thus meaning he only has one chance to kill Nero, as was the real Petullian's plan from the start. Nero comes into the room where they discuss the upcoming performance, unaware the the sun reflects through the lenses of his glasses and burns Nero's plans for the new Rome. While initially furious, the burning of the plans gives Nero the idea to burn Rome down to build it to his design, thus ensuring the Great Fire of Rome will take place as history states it does. That night, Nero calls the peoples of the city to take torches and burn everything for a hefty pay; the distraction gives Ian and Delos the opportunity to sneak inside the capital and find Barbara. While the people are distracted by Nero, Tavius quickly brings Ian to Barbara and Delos sneaks them out of the city. On a hilltop outside the city, the Doctor and Vicki watch the Great Fire of Rome start to take off; while thinking of the ramifications of affecting history, Vicki accuses the Doctor of meddling with the history he'd been lecturing her on not altering. Though he initially argues it, he eventually relents, and leave the burning city behind. Making it back to the villa, Ian and Barbara manage to tidy up and clean themselves off before the Doctor and Vicki return, completely oblivious to the fact that all four of them were close in their separate adventures. Not bothering to argue with the Doctor, Ian and Barbara relent and the four go back to the TARDIS. In the control room, after Barbara and Vicki leave to get changed, the Doctor confides in Ian that a strong force took hold of the ship when it materialised for a second and is now dragging it down; Ian asks what's dragging them and where they're going, but the Doctor just looks at him without an answer... Cast * Dr. Who - William Hartnell * Ian Chesterton - William Russell * Barbara Wright - Jacqueline Hill * Vicki - Maureen O'Brien * Sevcheria - Derek Sydney * Didius - Nicholas Evans * Centurion - Dennis Edwards * Stall Holder - Margot Thomas * Slave buyer - Edward Kelsey * Maximus Pettulian - Bart Allison * Ascaris - Barry Jackson * Delos - Peter Diamond * Tavius - Michael Peake * Woman Slave - Dorothy-Rose Gribble * Galley Master - Gertan Klauber * 1st Man in Market - Ernest Jennings * 2nd Man in Market - John Caesar * Court Messenger - Tony Lambden * Nero - Derek Francis * Tigilinus - Brian Proudfoot * Poppaea - Kay Patrick * Locusta - Anne Tirard Crew * Writer - Dennis Spooner * Title music - Ron Grainer with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop * Incidental music composed and conducted by Raymond Jones * Designer - Raymond P. Cusick * Associate Producer - Mervyn Pinfield * Producer - Verity Lambert * Director - Christopher Barry * Fight Arranger - Peter Diamond * Costumes Supervised by Daphne Dare * Make-up Supervised by Sonia Markham * Lighting - Howard King * Sound - Richard Chubb References To be added Story notes To be added Broadcast & Ratings Continuity To be added Home video and audio releases To be added External Links * Official ''The Romans'' page on '''Doctor Who Website